Openalex MCP Server vs Anna's Archive
A side-by-side look at the Openalex MCP Server and Anna's Archive MCP servers: transport, auth, tools, quality signals, and the config to install either one in Claude, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code.
Verdict: choose Openalex MCP Server for research work; choose Anna's Archive for research as a local process. You can also run both side by side in one mcpServers block.
Which MCP server should you choose?
Choose Openalex MCP Server when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Research domain.
- Its auth model fits you: No auth required.
- You want tools like
openalex_search_entities, openalex_analyze_trends, openalex_resolve_name.
Choose Anna's Archive when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Research domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- You have the keys it needs:
ANNAS_SECRET_KEY. - You want tools like
account_status, article_download, article_search.
Feature & specification comparison
Rows where the two servers differ are marked.
| Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | Research | Research |
| Quality signal | 55/100 · Good | 63/100 · Good |
| Install command | Not confirmed yet | Confirmed |
| Transport | — | Local subprocess (stdio) |
| Auth | No auth required | Not declared |
| Pricing | Free | Not declared |
| Required env vars | None listed | ANNAS_SECRET_KEY |
| Verified owner | Community listing | Community listing |
| GitHub stars | 16 | 3 |
| Directory activity | 1 views 0 installs 0 upvotes | 1 views 0 installs 0 upvotes |
| Tools | 5 | 7 |
| Full listing | View Openalex MCP Server | View Anna's Archive |
Tools & capabilities
Openalex MCP Server tools 5
openalex_search_entitiesSearch, filter, sort, or retrieve by ID across all 8 entity typesopenalex_analyze_trendsGroup-by aggregation for trend and distribution analysisopenalex_resolve_nameResolve a name or an identifier (DOI, ORCID, ROR, PMID, ISSN, OpenAlex ID) to an OpenAlex IDopenalex_get_citation_graphWalk the citation graph one hop from a seed work: `cites`, `cited_by`, or `related_toopenalex_describe_fieldsList valid filter, group_by, and select field names for an entity type
Anna's Archive tools 7
account_statusShow the account's membership and how many fast downloads it has left in its rolling window. Check it before downloading many files.article_downloadDownload a selected paper by exactly one of doi or hash. The hash field accepts a bare MD5 or an Anna's Archive /md5/ page URL. Resolves a DOI to its hash, then returns an existing file in ANNAS_DOWNLOAD_PATH if its full MD5 matches, otherwise downloads under a unique name. Returns path and bytes; downloads_left is omitted on local reuse. Optional title and format control a new file's name.article_searchFind a paper by DOI (including DOI URLs), or search journal articles by keywords, author, title or year. DOI lookup returns one paper; keyword search returns one page. Set include_stats to add public per-file downloads, quality votes, reports, lists and comments. Compare metadata before downloading by hash or DOI.book_detailsGet the full record for a search hit: ISBNs, DOI, OCLC and other identifiers, edition, year, full description, subjects, alternative titles, problems reported for the file, and download and quality counts. Accepts a hash from book_search or article_search, or an id from metadata_search.book_downloadDownload the selected book using its MD5 hash or Anna's Archive /md5/ page URL in hash. Returns an existing file in ANNAS_DOWNLOAD_PATH if its full MD5 matches, otherwise downloads a verified copy under a unique name. Returns path and bytes; downloads_left is omitted on local reuse. Format sets the extension; it does not convert the file.book_searchSearch books, textbooks, manuals and standards by title, author or topic, optionally filtered by format, language, content type, source library or year and sorted. Returns one page with hash, format, year, fast_download and metadata. Set include_stats to add public per-file downloads, quality votes, reports, lists and comments. Pass a selected hash to book_download, or to book_details for ISBNs, edition and file problems.metadata_searchSearch library catalogs (Open Library, WorldCat, ISBNdb, Goodreads, Google Books and others) for books, including ones with no downloadable file. Use it to find ISBNs, editions and publication details, then search book_search by ISBN or title for files. Pass an id to book_details for identifiers.
Ready-to-paste client configs
Paste either block (or both) into your client config, e.g. claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json. We only show a config when the install command is confirmed.
Openalex MCP Server
No confirmed install command for Openalex MCP Server yet — follow the setup steps linked from its listing page rather than a guessed package name.
Anna's Archive
{
"mcpServers": {
"anna-s-archive": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"annas-mcp"
],
"env": {
"ANNAS_SECRET_KEY": "YOUR_ANNAS_SECRET_KEY_HERE"
}
}
}
}
Frequently asked questions
Openalex MCP Server is categorized under Research and uses an install path we have not confirmed yet. Anna's Archive belongs to Research and uses a local stdio subprocess. Pick Openalex MCP Server for research work and Anna's Archive for research.
Copy the mcpServers block from the config section on this page into your client's config (for example claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json), then fully restart the client. Openalex MCP Server has no confirmed install command yet — follow its own setup instructions.
Openalex MCP Server is listed as free. Auth: no auth required. Anna's Archive has no declared pricing — check the project's own site. If a server needs environment variables such as API keys, define them under the env key in your client's MCP config.
Yes. MCP clients support multiple servers: add openalex-mcp-server and anna-s-archive as separate keys in the same mcpServers object, and your assistant will call tools from either one.
On AllMCPs, Openalex MCP Server has a quality signal of 55/100 (Good) with 1 views, 0 installs and 16 GitHub stars. Anna's Archive has 63/100 (Good) with 1 views, 0 installs and 3 GitHub stars.